Conventional junction boxes are known for mounting to elongated supports, such as ceiling joists and studs in walls.
There have even been a few prior art designs for attaching junction boxes to ceiling joists that are intended to carry the weight of an electrical fixture, such as a chandelier or ceiling fan. Such fixtures are becoming heavier nowadays, and building codes are becoming more strict. In addition, the marketplace is becoming increasingly competitive. Furthermore, homeowners are doing more retrofit installations of such junction boxes and fixtures, and easily and accurately installed devices are especially appropriate for use by lay people.
Thus, there is a need for a junction box which is suitable for carrying large static and dynamic loads, is easy to install, is inexpensive to manufacture, and can be installed regardless of the shape and profile of the horizontal joist or vertical stud.
There is likewise a need for a junction box which can be attached in various positions relative to a joist, such as on the side of a joist and on the face of a joist. There is likewise a need for a single thickness junction box which can be installed on a mounting assembly that accommodates different thicknesses of drywall while maintaining the desired face of the junction flush with the outer face of the drywall or plaster board or sheetrock.
Thus, it can be seen that there is a need for an electrical fixture mounting assembly having an electrical box that is engineered for use under high static and dynamic load conditions, which is easy to install, and simple and inexpensive to manufacture, which transfers the weight and forces of static loads (e.g., chandeliers) and dynamic loads (e.g., ceiling fans) directly to the support (e.g., the stud or joist) and substantially without applying forces to the electrical box. There is also a need for a mounting assembly which provides for installation of the same electrical box associated with the same mounting bracket, yet which accommodates a variety of thicknesses of drywall or sheetrock and which provides for flush mounting of the electrical box with the face of the various thicknesses of drywall.
There is likewise a need for a mounting assembly of the abovedescribed types which provide for "hands-free" installation, i.e., which may be temporarily attached and then permanently or detachably attached while the temporary attachment allows the use of both of the installers hands.
Still further, there is a need for mounting brackets suited for attachment to irregularly shaped joists.